US7069624B2 - Attachment of a sling - Google Patents

Abstract

A sling for carrying an elongate item such as a shoulder weapon having a buttstock and a forward end. In one embodiment, a bight of relatively small strap material is held in a sling swivel by a stopper mounted on the bight so that it can be passed through the sling swivel when the bight is slack, but which seats against the sling swivel when the bight is tight, keeping the bight engaged with the sling swivel. In another embodiment, a stopper keeps a bight of a stock-encircling strap engaged with a sling swivel, preventing the sling swivel from marring the stock.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to slings for carrying objects such as military and hunting rifles, and relates particularly to the attachment of such slings to objects to be carried.

Sling swivels have long been used on military and sporting rifles and other shoulder weapons to attach slings to the weapons, but the conventional use of metal clips or hooks to attach an end of a sling to a sling swivel can result in unwanted noise when the weapon is being carried, and such fittings must be chosen in a size appropriate to the sling strap and the sling swivel. Additionally, a metal sling fastening device may damage the finish on a stock.

Some slings have been equipped with flexible fabric members that can be fastened through a sling swivel to attach an end of a sling to a buttstock, forestock, or barrel of a weapon, but there has been some concern that the use of flexible connecting elements that are relatively small, by comparison with the size of the main sling strap members, might cause undesirable pressure and wear on the finish of a wooden gunstock.

Accordingly, what is desired is a sling including front and rear attachment portions which offer secure and strong connection to a an item to be carried, yet which is easily attached to or disconnected from sling swivels of more than one size at either end of the item, which will not cause unnecessary wear on a finish, and which can be manufactured at a competitive cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an answer to the aforementioned shortcomings of the previously known sling attachments and slings by providing an attachment assembly for attaching an end of a sling to a sling swivel.

In one preferred embodiment, a loop of relatively narrow and flexible strap material is attached to the end of the main body of the sling, together with a stopper that allows the strap to be mounted easily, yet securely, in a sling swivel to attach a sling to an end of a rifle or another elongate object which it is desired to carry by the use of the sling.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a loop of relatively wide flexible strap material is arranged to extend around a buttstock of a shoulder weapon as a stock-encircling loop, and a length of relatively narrow flexible strap material is attached to the stock-encircling loop with sufficient slack for a bight of the narrow strap material to be inserted through a sling swivel, together with a properly oriented stopper that thereafter is kept oriented by tension in the strap material, to prevent unintended retraction of the bight of narrow strap material from the sling swivel.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, a length of relatively narrow strap material has a pair of ends attached alongside each other to an end of a relatively wide main sling strap member so as to form a bight, and a stopper mounted on the relatively narrow strap material can be inserted through the opening of a sling swivel in one orientation, but thereafter is reoriented and maintains attachment of the bight of narrow strap material, and thus that end of the main sling strap member, to the sling swivel until the stopper is intentionally manipulated to permit its removal.

In one preferred embodiment of the sling attachment assembly, a stock-encircling strap includes a smoothly folded bight that extends through a sling swivel and is engaged by a stopper to keep the bight of the stock-encircling strap attached to the sling swivel.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, a stopper may be manufactured of molded strong and rigid plastics material, thus avoiding noisy metal-to-metal contact between the sling and the sling swivel.

The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a rifle equipped with a sling embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, at an enlarged scale, of a rear portion of the buttstock of the rifle shown inFIG. 1, together with a rear end attachment assembly and a part of the rear end of the main sling body of the sling shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view taken alongline3—3 ofFIG. 2, showing the manner of attachment of the rear attachment assembly of the sling to the buttstock of the rifle shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of theline4—4 ofFIG. 2, showing a part of the rear attachment assembly of the sling shown inFIGS. 1–3, in an outspread configuration for ease of understanding, together with a sling swivel engaged with the rear end attachment assembly.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of an exemplary stopper for incorporation in the sling shown inFIGS. 1–4.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view showing the manner of connecting the rear end attachment assembly to a sling swivel.

FIG. 7 is a left side elevational view, at an enlarged scale, showing the attachment of the front end portion of the sling to the forestock of the rifle shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view showing the attachment of the front end portion of the sling to the sling swivel shown inFIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view showing the manner of connecting the front end attachment portion shown inFIGS. 1,7, and8 to a sling swivel.

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view, at an enlarged scale, of a rear portion of the buttstock of the rifle shown inFIG. 1, together with a rear end attachment assembly that is a variation of the assembly shown inFIG. 2.

FIG. 11 is a view taken alongline11—11 ofFIG. 10, showing the rear end attachment assembly and portion of a buttstock shown inFIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the portion of a buttstock and the rear end attachment assembly shown inFIGS. 10 and 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings which form a part of the disclosure herein, inFIG. 1, ahunting rifle14 is equipped with asling16 including a main sling body of suitably flexible, strong, and wide strap material. In thesling16 as shown inFIG. 1, arear strap portion18 of the main body of the sling has attached to it afront strap portion20 that is adjustable in length and has afront end22.

A frontend attachment portion24 interconnects thefront end22 with a front sling swivel25 mounted on the forestock of thehunting rifle14, and will be described in greater detail presently.

A rearend attachment assembly26 is interconnected with a rear end of therear strap portion18. The rearend attachment assembly26 includes a stock-encircling loop portion28 that extends around thebuttstock30 and is attached to arear sling swivel32.

Referring next toFIGS. 2,3, and4, the rearend attachment assembly26 is shown in greater detail, and it may be seen that the stock-encircling loop portion28 is part of afirst strap member34 which may be of a suitably strong woven fabric such as a strong and relatively non-elastic nylon webbing material having asuitable width35 of, for example, 1 inch. Thewidth34 is preferably great enough to assure that the strap member has enough area in contact with thebuttstock30 to avoid undue wear on its finish. Afirst end part36 of thefirst strap member34 is secured to therear strap portion18 by anadjustable loop38 fastened through a pair of D-rings40 mounted at the rear end of therear strap portion18. A suitable fastener such as a threebar slide buckle42 secures thefirst end part36 to form theloop38.

A pair ofslide loops44 are attached to a second end of thestrap member34 by aloop46 formed in thestrap member34 and suitably secured, as by a suitable pattern of stitching. Preferably, thestrap member34 is folded over upon itself into a Z-shaped portion48 along one side of theloop46 to provide an amount of additional stiffness and thus keep theslide loops44 conveniently oriented and located where the intermediate portion of thefirst strap member34, between theslide buckle42 and theloop46, can slide through theslide loops44 to tighten the stock-encircling loop portion28 snugly about thebuttstock30. The Z-shaped foldedportion48 may be secured by a suitable pattern of stitching through the fabric webbing material of thefirst strap member34.

Aflexible strap member50 is narrower than thefirst strap member34, having awidth52 of about ½ inch, for example. Thestrap member50 is preferably also of a woven fabric web material, but need not have as great a strength as the widerfirst strap member34. Afirst end54 of thestrap50 is securely attached to the outer side of thefirst strap member34, as by being sewn to thefirst strap member34 at a location which may, for example, be adjacent to theloop46. Asecond end56 of thesecond strap member50 is also attached to the outer side of thefirst strap member34 with a suitably strong connection, as by being sewn to thefirst strap member34, at a position spaced apart from theloop46 along thefirst strap member34 by a distance which is less than the length of thesecond strap member50, as shown best inFIG. 4, thus leaving aloose bight58 in thesecond strap member50. For example, the length of thesecond strap50 between itsends54 and56 may be greater by about 1¼ inch than the distance between the attachments of theends54 and56 to thefirst strap member34.

Aflat stopper60 is mounted on the narrowersecond strap member50 before its first andsecond ends54 are attached to thefirst strap member34, and thus thestopper60 is permanently mounted on thesecond strap member50. Thebight58 of thesecond strap member50 extends through the strap-receiving opening62 in the rear sling swivel32, and thestopper60 rests against the sling swivel32 and prevents thesecond strap member50 from being removed from the opening62. Thus, when thesling swivel32 is attached in the normal manner to thebuttstock30, as by being engaged with astud64 mounted in the bottom of thebuttstock30, the stock-encircling loop portion28 is prevented from sliding forward along thebuttstock30 by thestrap member50 and the sling swivel32. Thefirst strap member34 is thus located between thesling swivel32 and thebuttstock30, protecting the finish of thebuttstock30 from being marred by the sling swivel32. Engagement of thesecond strap member50 with thesling swivel32 also prevents the stock-encircling loop portion28 from sliding around thebuttstock30, so that thefirst end part36 of thefirst strap member34 extends away from theslide loops44 on a desired side of thebuttstock30, as shown inFIG. 1, so that thesling16 may be mounted on therifle14 for use by either a right-handed or left-handed shooter.

As shown inFIG. 5, thestopper60 is generally planar and elongate, with alength66 and awidth68 preferably slightly larger than the size of the loop portion of thesling swivel32 and thus larger than the strap-receiving opening62 in the sling swivel32, although thestopper60 is useable with sling swivels of different sizes. Thestopper60 may be made of a suitably strong and stiff plastics material, so as to be quieter than a conventional metal sling connecting clip or hook. A pair ofopenings70 and72 are provided at the opposite ends of thestopper60, and thestrap member52 is engaged with thestopper60 by extending each of itsends54 and56 through a respective one of theopenings70 and72, so that a portion of thestrap member52 extends along one generally planar side of thestopper60 while both of theends54 and56 extend away from the opposite side of thestopper60.

Thestopper60 has athickness74 sufficient to provide enough rigidity so that thestopper60 cannot buckle and be pulled through the strap-receiving opening62 in the sling swivel32 by thesecond strap member50, but thethickness74 is small enough so that thestopper60, together with thebight58 of thesecond strap member50, can be passed through the strap-receivingopening62 in the sling swivel32 in the direction of thearrow76 inFIG. 6 to engage the rearend attachment assembly26 with thesling swivel32. Disengagement is simply the opposite of the engagement procedure. Either engagement with the sling swivel32 or disengagement from thesling swivel32 is best accomplished with the stock-encircling loop portion28 loosened or removed from thebuttstock30 to provide slack in thefirst strap member34 as shown inFIG. 6.

Once thestopper60 has passed entirely through the opening62 in thesling swivel32 and tension is applied to thesecond strap50, thestopper60 aligns itself alongside the sling swivel32 as shown inFIGS. 2,3, and4, thus preventing thesecond strap50 from being withdrawn from engagement with therear sling swivel32 until sufficient slack is again provided in thebight58 to permit thestopper60 to be reoriented with respect to the opening62 and slid back through the opening62 of the sling swivel32.

Referring next toFIGS. 7,8, and9, the frontend attachment portion24 includes anarrow strap member80 attached to thefront end22 of thefront strap portion20 of the main body of thesling16. Thefront strap portion20 may be of conventional strap material such as woven webbing of the sort commonly used in slings for shoulder weapons and may have awidth82 of 1¼ inch, for example, while thenarrow strap member80 may be of web material similar to that of thestrap member50 of the rearend attachment assembly26. In one embodiment of the frontend attachment portion24, thestrap member80 has awidth84 such as about ½ inch, that is significantly less than thewidth82 of thefront strap portion20 of the main body of thesling16. Thenarrow strap member80 preferably has itsopposite ends86 and88 side by side and parallel with each other and folded into thefront end22 of thefront strap portion20. As shown inFIG. 8, theends86 and88 of thestrap member80 are spaced apart from each other and aligned generally with the side margins of thefront strap portion20. Thestrap member80 is sewn, riveted, or otherwise fastened securely to thefront end22 of thefront strap portion20 so that thenarrow strap member80 forms abight90 extending forward from thefront strap portion20.

Prior to attachment of thestrap member80 to thefront end22 of thefront strap portion20, astopper92 which may be similar to thestopper60 is mounted on thenarrow strap member80 in the same fashion in which thestopper60 is mounted on thestrap member50. As shown inFIG. 9, thestopper92, together with thebight90 of thestrap member80, can be engaged with the front sling swivel25 in the same manner described above with respect to engagement of the rearend attachment assembly26 with the rear sling swivel32. Therefore, so long as tension is applied to thebight90 by thefront strap portion20, thestopper92 is held against thefront sling swivel25 and prevents removal of thefront strap portion20 from connection with thefront sling swivel25. When it is desired to disengage the front end of thesling16 from thesling swivel25, thebight90 must be slackened, and thestopper92 can be oriented as shown inFIG. 9, and slid out of engagement with thesling swivel25.

Referring now toFIGS. 10,11, and12, a rear end attachment assembly98 that is another embodiment includes astrap member100 generally similar to thefirst strap member34 portion of the stock-encirclingloop portion28 described above, extending around thebuttstock30 as a stock-encirclingloop102. However, there is a half-twist in thestrap member100 within theloop102, and abight104 is formed as a smooth bend or fold transverse to the length of thestrap member100. Thebight104 extends through theopening62 in therear sling swivel32, as may be seen inFIG. 10, where thesling swivel32 is shown partially cut away. Thebight104 of thestrap member100 is engaged in the normal manner through a stopper such as a threebar slide106, with the threebar slide106 beneath therear sling swivel32, as shown inFIGS. 10,11, and12. The threebar slide106 thus acts as a stopper to keep thestrap member100 engaged with thesling swivel32, and thestrap member100 is kept between thesling swivel32 and thebuttstock40, protecting its finish from being marred by thesling swivel32.

While the threebar slide106 may be manipulated in a fashion similar to the previously described manipulation of thestopper60, to attach thebight104 to therear sling swivel32 or to remove it therefrom, such manipulation is more difficult than manipulation of thestopper60 and thenarrow strap member50, because thewidth108 of thestrap member100 is greater than the width of thestrap member50. Because it is somewhat difficult to manipulate thebight104 together with the threebar slide106 to connect thebight104 with therear sling swivel32, it may be preferable, depending upon the particular material of thestrap member100, to thread the end110 of the strap member through theopening62 of thesling swivel32, through the threebar slide106 in the normal manner, back through theopening62 in thesling swivel32, and thence around thebuttstock30, through the loop slides44, and through the threebar slide buckle42 and D-rings40, to attach thestrap member100 to thesling swivel32, or to rearrange thestrap member100 for use by an opposite handed person.

Because of the half twist in thestrap member100, the parts of thestrap member100 on each side of thebuttstock30 can lie smoothly alongside the lower portion of thebuttstock30 on each side while still resting evenly along the entire width of the center bar of the threebar slide106. Because there is no additional narrow second strap member in the rear end attachment assembly98, it is somewhat less costly to produce than the previously described rearend attachment assembly26.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in the forgoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalence of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.

Claims (25)

1. A rear end attachment assembly for a sling, comprising:

(a) a first strap member having a first end and a second end, said second end being attached to and adjustably movable along an intermediate part of said first strap member, forming a stock-encircling loop;

(b) a flexible second strap member having a pair of opposite ends defining a length, both of said opposite ends being attached to said first strap member at respective locations separated along said first strap member by a distance that is less than said length, so that said flexible second strap member includes a loose bight; and

(c) a stopper mounted on said bight of said flexible second strap member and arranged so as to keep said bight engaged with a sling swivel.

2. The rear end attachment assembly ofclaim 1 wherein said first strap member is wider than said second strap member.

3. The rear end attachment assembly ofclaim 1 wherein said stopper is elongate and can pass through a strap-receiving opening in a sling swivel in a first, lengthwise orientation, but is held against said sling swivel in a second orientation, in which it cannot pass through said strap-receiving opening, by tension in said second strap member.

4. The rear end attachment assembly ofclaim 1 wherein said second strap member is no wider than about half as wide as said first strap member.

5. The rear end attachment assembly ofclaim 1 wherein said second end of said first strap member is connected to said intermediate part thereof by a slide loop permitting said stock-encircling loop to be adjusted in size.

6. The rear end attachment assembly ofclaim 1 wherein said stopper defines a pair of holes through which said second strap member extends, with a portion of said second strap member extending along a first side of said stopper and with each of said opposite ends extending from a respective one of said pair of holes on a second side of said stopper.

7. The rear end attachment assembly ofclaim 6 wherein said stopper is in the form of a flat plate.

8. The rear end attachment assembly ofclaim 6 wherein said stopper is of a rigid plastic material.

9. An attachment portion of a sling, comprising:

(a) an end portion of a main sling body member having a first width;

(b) a length of flexible strap material having a substantially narrower second width and having a pair of opposite ends, said length of flexible strap material being bent into a bight extending away from said end portion of said main sling body member, and said pair of opposite ends being attached to said end portion; and

(c) a stopper mounted on said bight and arranged so as to keep said bight engaged with a sling swivel.

10. The attachment portion ofclaim 9 wherein said stopper defines a pair of holes through which said length of flexible strap material extends, with a portion of said second strap member extending along a first side of said stopper and with each of said opposite ends extending from a respective one of said pair of holes on a second side of said stopper.

11. The attachment portion ofclaim 10 wherein said stopper is in the form of a flat plate.

12. The attachment portion ofclaim 10, wherein said stopper of a rigid plastic material.

13. The attachment portion ofclaim 9 wherein said stopper is elongate and can pass through a strap-receiving opening in a sling swivel in a first, lengthwise orientation, but is held against said sling swivel in a second orientation, in which it cannot pass through said strap-receiving opening, by tension in said flexible strap material.

14. The attachment portion ofclaim 13 wherein said length of flexible strap material is no wider than about half as wide as said end portion.

15. A sling, comprising:

(a) a main sling body of flexible strap material having a front end and a rear end;

(b) a front end attachment portion located at said front end of said main sling body; and

(c) a rear end attachment assembly extending from said rear end of said main sling body, and wherein said rear end attachment assembly includes;

(d) a first strap member having a first end and a second end, said second end being attached to and adjustably movable along an intermediate part of said first strap member, forming a stock-encircling loop;

(e) a flexible second strap member having a pair of opposite ends defining a length, both of said opposite ends being attached to said first strap member at respective locations separated along said first strap member by a distance that is less than said length, so that said flexible second strap member includes a loose bight; and

(f) a stopper mounted on said bight of said flexible second strap member and arranged so as to keep said bight engaged with a sling swivel.

16. The sling ofclaim 15 wherein said first strap member is wider than said second strap member.

17. The sling ofclaim 16 wherein said second strap member is no wider than about half as wide as said first strap member.

18. The sling ofclaim 15 wherein said second end of said first strap member is connected to said intermediate part thereof by a slide loop permitting a stock-encircling loop of adjustable size to be formed by said first strap member.

19. The sling swivel ofclaim 15 wherein said stopper defines a pair of holes through which said second strap member extends, with a portion of said second strap member extending along a first side of said stopper and with each of said opposite ends extending from a respective one of said pair of holes on a second side of said stopper.

20. The sling ofclaim 19 wherein said stopper is in the form of a flat plate.

21. The sling ofclaim 19 wherein said stopper is of a rigid plastic material.

22. The sling ofclaim 15 wherein said stopper can be passed through a strap-receiving opening of a sling swivel in a predetermined orientation when said bight is slack, but is held against said sling swivel in a second orientation, in which it cannot pass through said strap-receiving opening, by tension in said second strap member.

23. A rear end attachment assembly for a sling, comprising:

(a) a strap member having a first end, a second end, and a length, said second end being attached to and adjustably movable along an intermediate part of said strap member, forming a stock-encircling loop, said strap member having a half twist located in said stock-encircling loop, and said strap member being bent along a line transverse to said length, thereby forming and including a bight in said strap member;

(b) a sling swivel defining a strap-receiving opening, said bight extending through said strap-receiving opening and thereby being engaged with said sling swivel; and

(c) a stopper mounted on said bight in said strap member and arranged so as to keep said bight engaged with said sling swivel.

24. The rear end attachment assembly ofclaim 23 wherein said second end of said first strap member is connected to said intermediate part thereof by a slide loop permitting said stock-encircling loop to be adjusted in size.

25. The rear end attachment assembly ofclaim 23 wherein said stopper is in the form of a three-bar slide.

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